Cougar Volleyball Splits Two Matches

by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller

Taft College split a pair of non-conference volleyball sweeps last week here against American River and Shasta colleges. The split leaves the Cougars with a 4-5 record heading into Central Valley Conference play tomorrow in Coalinga against West Hills College.

They will play in the San Diego City College tournament Saturday before hosting their first CVC match on Sept. 28 when Columbia College comes to town.

The Cougars ran into one of the best teams in northern California when the host American River Beavers swept TC 25-22, 25-11 and 25-18. "They are a very, very good team," head coach Kanoe Bandy said of ARC.  "They played really well.  We played well, too, but they are a quality team."

Chanel Canatere led the Cougars in attacks with 15 kills with Brittany Peterson scoring seven and Sina Mauga and Mele Yama two each.Mauga led the team in blocks with five, Madison Lawley had three and Peterson two.

On the defensive side, "Chanel played really well" as she led the team in digs with 10.  Jordyn Grissom had six, Yama five and Makaela Jones three.

Yama worked the entire match as setter and finished with 17 assists.

TC bounced back in its second match of the three-way by sweeping Shasta by scores of 25-18, 25-23 and 25-13.

Cantere again led the team in kills with 15 followed by Peterson with seven and Mauga and Onolina Taotofi with two each.

"We're still looking for a consistent second hitter," Bandy said.  "Whereas last year we had two solid hitters, we just don't have that consistency on our hitting yet."

Maugua had three blocks, Peterson two and Taotofi one.

Defensively, Cantere led the team with 13 digs, Grissom contributed 12 and Yama 10.Yama also put up 24 assists.

Since the team had the weekend off from competition, Bandy flew to Butte, Montana, to watch former Cougar Michelle Hardy play for Montana Tech University on Friday and Saturday. "She is setting for them," Bandy said, "and did a really nice job."

Hardy was an all-conference setter for the Cougars last year. "As a coach, you want to see your players not only move on, but also advance their level of play, and that is exactly what Michelle has done," Bandy said.  "She has really stepped it up." Montana Tech is an NAIA school.

Bandy said that Hardy, who is from Hawaii, "is learning what it's like to be cold."